


Minor Characters II: A Little Change

by gelbes_gilatier



Series: Minor Characters [3]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Movie Night, Team, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-14
Updated: 2013-08-14
Packaged: 2017-12-23 12:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/926478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gelbes_gilatier/pseuds/gelbes_gilatier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Off-duty Teambuilding 101 for the members of SG10... because what else can you do when General O'Neill grounds you and orders you to stop working?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, as you might have noticed, I've grown a bit tired of my own updating routine so I'm currently copying all my existing SG10 stories from ff.net to AO3 so that once I'm done, I can update simultaneously on all plattforms. Err. Sorry for the inconvinience :S

**Minor Characters II:** **A Little Change**

" _Somebody once asked could you spare some change for gas_  
I need to get myself away from this place  
I said yep what a concept  
I could use a little fuel myself  
And we could all use a little change."

_Smash Mouth, "All Star"_

_Moore_

Whoa, _that_ was one hell of a mission. Two days after the final clear up and I still haven't fully recovered from that whole body-changing thing. And O'Neill gave us the "When I say off-duty, I _mean_ off-duty."-speech again and banned Laura, Dee and Reece from their precious labs and offices and me from the shooting range, the office – I'll just remind him of that next time he comes hunting me down for lack of paperwork – and even the work-out room. _And_ he forced me to postpone the survival exercise. Mh. Okay, so the survival exercise was actually Laura's fault, but O'Neill surely would have forced me even without her pronouncing as all unfit for it.

So now I'm prowling the SGC, because I'm bored out of my wits. Okay, I _could_ leave Cheyenne Mountain and head for my house in town, but honestly: I'd be as bored there as I am here, and I'd be bored there _alone_. I know for a fact that both Dee and Reece practically never leave the base on downtime – though I have no idea _why_ – and actually use their quarters here as living quarters and Laura decided to pass the weekend on the base, probably out of the same reasons I decided to stay.

Okay, so… where are my people now? None of them are in their quarters and Reece isn't sneaking around the linguistics office or the library. Laura isn't trying to sneak into the biologics lab and Dee isn't conducting some private experiments on the surface, because it would still be a little difficult for him to get there. _And_ neither of them is in the mess hall having breakfast. So where the _hell_ …

"Morning, sir!"

"Morning, Tom!"

Startled I turn around to see the female members of my team running down the corridor and grinning cheerfully. Obviously they just came back from a morning run on the surface. Oh God, Laura obviously found another morning person. So now I'm the _only_ one on the team who's _not_ a morning person. Great. Just fucking great.

"Hey, was that what you meant with "he can be a bit slow in the morning"?" I hear Reece call out a few feet away from me, and Laura replies something I can't understand because it's drowned in both of their laughs. Just wait and see until we're on duty again and I give you my night alarm routine, girls.

Okay, so now I know where the girls went this morning, but where's my NCO? Maybe I should…

"MAJOR MOORE!" Whoa, how can O'Neill bellow _that_ loud even before 9 a.m.? And _what_ did I do wrong _now_? If this is about over-due paperwork… " _What_ is your NCO doing in the demolitions lab in the middle of the night?" Ah, good to know that General O'Neill considers everything before 1000 to be in the middle of the night as well. But… what does he have to do with the demolitions lab and why is he asking _me_ of all people? Suppressing a sigh I turn around to face the wrath of Kh… General O'Neill.

"With all due respect… I have _no_ idea, sir." I'm already waiting for the blow-up to descend on me, but obviously O'Neill just realized he sent us all off-duty and therefore excused me of my responsibilities for the whereabouts of my team. He sure looks a little grumpy now.

"Well… you might want to take a little detour and have a look at it yourself. If you – by any chance – discover your NCO working then you have my full permission to drag him out of the lab by his ears." Am I supposed to thank him now? Oh well… better not take any chances.

"Uh… thank you, sir. Will do, sir." He nods.

"Good for you. Maybe that will spare you and your team a lecture on the correct use of recovery time. Really, Moore, all of you are old enough to know that all work and no play makes my soldiers cranky. And I _hate_ to have cranky soldiers." God, someone had to sleep on the couch tonight, sir?

"Of course, sir. If you'll excuse me now, sir… I've got an insolent NCO to explain to how he's supposed to use his spare time." At first O'Neill only nods, but then my words hit home and he realizes that I just told him what I think about ordering his people what to do when being off-duty.

"Very funny, Major. Some day I'm gonna make you commander of the SGC for one day. Let's see how you think about having to order people what do to on their spare time then." I really like the threats O'Neill likes to make. They're always so… creative. I can't suppress a smirk.

"I'm absolutely looking forward to that day, sir."

He raises an eyebrow, takes in the smirk and then says: "I seriously doubt that. Now, go chasing down your team and have a nice weekend. That's an order, Major."

I can't help but snap into a mock crisp salute and actually throw him a good, old-fashioned "Sir, yes, sir!"

O'Neill just rolls his eyes and walks away, grumbling something that sounds suspiciously like, "Is it just me or is the SGC turning into a kindergarten more and more each day?"

Oh well. Time to take care of my very own kindergarten. Step One: Find the two insolent girls and make them find a way to get rid of my boredom. Step Two: Drag my disobeying NCO out of his lab for some lunch. Step Three: Find a way for the paperwork to take care of itself.

Yeah.

Good plan.

* * *

_Reece_

"Gotcha!"

A ball of crumpled paper suddenly hits the open book in front of me and with a start I jerk up and nearly fall of my chair. Holy… oh, fuck, it's the Major. Who just caught me at what looks like disobeying a direct order from General O'Neill. Oops.

"Sir, I can explain it…" My voice falters when I see the big grin on his face. Oh. That's… something new. Usually I get frowns and growls and disapproving looks. He saunters into the office I share with a few other linguists, still with the grin on his face.

"Explain what? Why you're sitting in your office and translating something when you absolutely shouldn't? Or how you can translate something with that strange noise you call singing?" What? Oh… _oh_. He meant the singing along with one of my CDs. I'm just so used to doing that when I'm alone in the office that I wasn't even aware of it. "And by the way… _you_ listening to the "Top Gun" soundtrack? Shouldn't it be "Jarhead" or stuff like that?" He turns around, leafing through one of the texts lying on one of the other desks. Should I tell him to keep his fingers off?

Nah. I've been stretching my limits enough with the "being a bit slow in the morning"-comment, I think. But I just couldn't help that one. Ever since I've been in the Major's body… nearly _been_ him, he kinda stopped being so… _scary_. He's still intimidating and awe-inspiring and pretty difficult to read, but he stopped being downright scary. Doesn't make being around him any easier, though.

"Hey, Earth to Lieutenant Reece. You still with us?" Looking at me with a raised eyebrow now. Just without the usual condescending note. Huh?

"Yeah. Uh. Sorry. I've just… What exactly are you doing here, sir?" Wow, great! Best defense is a good offense. You finally mastered that one important piece of Marine training, Lieutenant!

"Actually, that's what I have to ask _you_ , Lieutenant. Don't try to divert my attention. Now… is there any sensible explanation as to why you're working in your office when you were ordered not to?" Obviously he finally decided to stop prowling the office and has sat down at the desk opposite to mine, lounging around in the chair and somehow looking more like a lazy schoolboy than a hardened Special Forces officer.

"I… errr…" I could try to lie now. People do that frequently. I could try to tell him some stuff about how I just chose the office to read a book totally unrelated to work because it's practically deserted and not crowded like the floor with the personal quarters or something like that. But, as I said before, I'm maybe the world's worst liar. So better just stick with the truth. "Well, I figured since General O'Neill had to take off to some international conference on Earth defense and you would most probably be in Colorado Springs there'd be nobody to actually enforce that stupid order and I could get some work done. And I mean… this isn't even actual work. It's more of a… private project." Errr… I didn't just call a direct order from General O'Neill "stupid", right?

"A private project, huh?" Thank God, he ignored the "stupid order"-part. "And did _you_ of all people just call a direct order of your commanding General stupid?" Or maybe not. Argh, Am in trouble now.

"I didn't… I didn't really mean it. I was just… you know… people always…" Argh. I'm a linguist. We're supposed to be eloquent. We're _not_ supposed to be stammering idiots. And stop looking at me with that slightly raised eyebrow. It's so not helping.

"Geez, you're actually _blushing_. I never saw a jarhead _blush_ before." And comments like that? Not helping _either_. "Holy shit, don't start hyperventilating, Kid. I was _joking_." I was _not_ starting to hyperventilate. I was just… well… trying to compose myself. And I really still have no idea why it's _Kid_ all of a sudden. Not that I really mind, because it's better than a lot of other stuff he could have come up with after this last mission – "Nuts", "Wacko" and "Lose Screw" come to my mind immediately – but… it's still boggling my mind a little.

"Well… to be honest… I've heard funnier jokes. Sir. And yes, a _private_ project." Let's see if he's interested enough to ask.

"Uh-huh… are you just telling me that you actually do this… language stuff as a _hobby_?" Well, no, I'm only pretending to because my _real_ hobby is base-jumping… _not_.

"Yes, sir. Exactly. And honestly… I would really like to _continue_ the text stuff." Come on, give it up, go torture Laura or something like that.

"Sounds… fascinating. What exactly are you doing there?" I knew it. God, must the Major be bored if he actually pretends to be interested in the stuff I do.

"Translating Ancient poetry. Yes, sir, _just for fun_. Well… mostly. Permission to ask you something, sir?" He just shrugs and gestures me lazily to go on. "Why exactly are you here? If you're not here to give me a lecture about disobeying direct orders, I mean." A grin lights up the Major's face and he leans forward on the desk and starts to toy with one of the artifacts standing there. Hasn't this guy learnt _anything_ from our last mission?

"Well, because I'm bored of course. I'm not allowed to have a go at the shooting range, I'm not allowed to use the work-out room, I'm not even allowed to finish my paperwork. And even if I _did_ throw General O'Neill's orders to the wind I'd be bored." Well then, go and bother Laura or Dee. And anyway, since when is the team responsible for the entertainment of their CO?

"You have my utmost sympathy, sir. But, you know, _I_ am not bored and I would really like to…" He suddenly throws up his hands in exasperation.

"Sheesh, Kid, I'm just trying to be _nice_ here. You know, getting to know my resident Marine better and all that stuff. So you could be at least a _bit_ more hospitable." Oh. _I_ 'm being inhospitable and _he_ 's just trying to be nice? Couldn't he have found another moment for that? I was _really_ working on this one Ancient poem. Ever since I came here, the Ancients' language has absolutely fascinated me and I was actually delighted to hear that I was not only allowed, but _expected_ to study it. And this was one of the few days I could have spent completely with my Ancient texts, but things of course never go the way we want them to.

"Alright, sir, then… let me tell you something about your resident Marine: she really likes her Ancient texts, and she likes to read them _alone_." Oh God. I've gone too far. I can already see the clouds forming over the Major's head. Why did I let myself be fooled by the strange bantering and… just argh. "Oh… sorry, sir. I was completely overstepping my boundaries and I really should have… I won't do that again. Honestly." Shut up, Reece, _shut up_. Stammering won't make it any better, dammit.

Or maybe it will. The Major's face lightens up again and he laughs a little. What the…? "You're starting to hyperventilate again, Lieutenant. I still just can't help being thrown off-course whenever you can't shut up yourself fast enough and actually show something resembling a backbone." Hey! It's _not_ nice to say such things, you idiot! "I'll… just try to get used to seeing my resident Marine come out of her shell, that's all. And honestly… what's so exciting about Ancient?" Mh. All of a sudden he seems to be really interested. Maybe I should stop to forget that he as well must hold some academic degree, though I have no idea what that could be. They don't award degrees for cockiness and superior skills in the field of intimidating people at the Air Force Academy, do they?

"It's… intriguing, because it looks so familiar at first – some traces of Latin, some traces of Greek, some of Assyrian… – but then you have a closer look and it doesn't make any sense at all anymore. It's a kind of… brain jogging. Keeps my mind in motion. It's just… well… cool." He grins again. What?

"Show that kind of enthusiasm the next time we're on the shooting range and I'll guarantee you you'll push up your accuracy rating about 10." Ha, ha, really funny, sir. That would make a total of 80, which would make me the… fourth best shooter in the team. Just my luck that we're only four in total.

"If I'd had letters and commas and syntaxes to shoot with I certainly would, sir," I say with an absolute straight face and he laughs again. Mh. I could really get used to seeing the Major laugh. It's certainly nicer than to see him frown.

"I don't doubt that. Uh… Kid?" I raise my eyebrows. "Don't worry about your marksmanship. I've helped worse shooters than you pass their tests with flying colors." That… does come as a surprise now. Is this the same guy who'd wanted to get rid of me as fast as he could just a few days ago? If I got that right… translated into normal English, he just told me that he thinks me worthy of his help, and that's really some kind of admission.

I feel myself blush, and I'm really grateful for the sparse light in here, because the Major is the last guy I want to blush in front of.

And thankfully, I'm suddenly saved from answering be someone else barging into my office. "Ah, _there_ you are, Maureen! Oh… and if that isn't Major "I'm so bored, Laura, entertain me!" Moore." She comes into the room and gives him a slight shove that makes him nearly topple off his chair. He gives an indignant call but she just giggles and I can't help to join her.

"Just wait until our next field exercise. Let's see how much giggling I'll hear _then_ from you." The Major shoots scowls at both of us, but Laura just sticks out her tongue at him. You know… technically I _know_ that they've been friends for nearly all their lives but I'm still a little bewildered every time they actually show it through small gestures of affection or bantering all the same. It's just that every time they do this, it seems like the Major is letting a mask slip and a completely different guy is shining through that gap.

"Well, depends on how much giggling you _want_ to hear," Laura answers nonchalantly which earns her a rolling of his eyes from the Major. "Anyway…" she turns to me now, "You still on for tonight?" Tonight? Tonight, tonight, tonight… Oh. Oooh. Of course. The Girls' Night Out she talked me into.

"Well, you know, uh… I'm actually…" She crosses her arms in front of her chest and gives me the raised eyebrows and the foot tapping. Argh. She _really_ expects me to come along with her. And what Captain Laura Greenspan wants, Captain Laura Greenspn gets, no matter what it takes her. I simply have no alternative to saying that of course I will come with her.

"Tonight? What are you on to, Laura?" Really, sir, as if that was _any_ of your business. She throws him a look that says exactly that and he raises his hands to stop her from saying anything. "Hey, I'm just trying to take an interest in your life, Greenspan."

She snorts and answers, "Why does your "taking interest in my life" always sound like you're trying to interrogate me?"

A disbelieving expression appears on the Major's face as he turns towards me. "Lieutenant, you do agree that I was anything but interrogating her, don't you?" Hey, don't drag _me_ into this!

"Well… uh… actually… uh… sir…" He throws his hands up in air and gets up, making a show of being exasperated. Seems having to wear his heart on his sleeve for the last mission made him a little more open. Or maybe I just haven't had the privilege of seeing a truly off-duty Major since I came here. He's nearly out of the door when he suddenly turns around.

"You know what… just for that last insult I should… I should invite you for tonight, thus spoiling your probably carefully planned "girls' night out". Coming to think of it…"

"Oh no, you _don't_.", Laura interrupts him, and in the first moment I'm shocked at the fierceness in her voice and the sheer audacity to interrupt the _Major_ , but then I remember that they've probably done this several hundred times before. And yes, a feral grin spreads over the Major's face.

"Yes, I _do_. My house, tonight at eight, no buts about it. Laura, you get some DVD, Reece, you get something else than beer to drink, I'll get food... and we'll see about Dee. In fact… I think I'll better have a look at him and tell him." With that he turns around again and is ready to leave when he's suddenly hit by the same ball of crumbled paper he'd thrown into my book. He whips around again, and as always I'm amazed at the grace and speed with which he moves in every situation only nearly resembling combat.

"Who…?" In an amazing bout of reflex I manage to point at Laura the same moment she points at me. Hey! That was _you_ who threw the damn thing. The Major looks from me to her and then settles his gaze at me again, only to grumble something resembling, "Damn jarheads that only hit you from behind." Grrr. GRRR.

He turns around to stalk out of the room, and out of some stupid impulse I crumble one of the sheets lying around and fling it at him, saying in a voice loud enough that he just _has_ to hear it, "Damn zoomies who always shoot first and ask later," but he obviously chose to ignore it as he doesn't come back for a wigging.

God… did I just really do that? Geez… Beside me bubbling laughter can suddenly be heard and I turn around to see Laura shaking with said laughter. Well, nice to know that at least _one_ of us obviously profited from my slip of tongue.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

_Greenspan_

Good God, I can't believe that _Maureen Reece_ of all people just called Tom a "damn zoomie". But maybe he had it coming. Shouldn't have called her a jarhead, because even in Maureen there's this deep _pride_ of being a _United States Marine_ , and they just don't like it when someone else calls them by any nickname. Not even their commanding officers.

Anyway, it was her deep satisfaction and conviction at calling him a "damn zoomie" that made me laugh in the end. In all the time I've known her she tried very hard to please him and be the epitome of correctness and politeness when it came to him, but ever since the last mission I get the feeling that there's a wicked and defiant streak inside her that will cause Tom more trouble than he'd like.

"He'll get you back for that, you know." Because if there's one thing Thomas Moore doesn't like it's being cheated out of having the last word.

She shrugs, trying to make light of it, but I'm positive that inside she's already cursing her big mouth. "He can't do more than rip off my head, so what?"

I give her a sardonic grin. "Big words for someone who used to be afraid of her superior officer for the last three months."

She shrugs. "I revised that perception." And I'd love to know why. I mean, okay, probably the fact that she had to walk around in his shoes – so to speak – for a while has helped tremendously, but I wonder what else made her warm up to us. And I wonder about something else. Now a little more serious, I take the seat Tom just vacated and lean on the desk.

"Hey… how are you holding up?" Because, you know, I've had this feeling that at least part of her new levity is a cover for how deeply she's still afflicted by that last mission.

"I'm… I'm doing fine, Laura. Honestly." And I don't believe _one_ word. But I guess that she was on her own for so long now that she has partly forgotten how to open up to other people. I'm pretty sure that the little outbreak before our last mission is something she'd rather forget and never talk about again, but unfortunately I never forget things like that.

"Maureen… I'm asking as your friend, not as your medic or superior." She purses her lips and fiddles around with her red locks. For a while, the only thing she does is rubbing her eyes, pressing the back of her hand against her mouth and displaying all those little signs for nervousness and anxiousness.

Then: "Promise not to tell anyone? Not even the Major?" Yay, progress!

" _Especially_ not the Major." That even prompts a little smile from her, but her eyes are shining wet. Maybe… I shouldn't have made her talk in such a comparatively public place.

"You better." Then she takes a deep breath. "I… I've been better, to put it mildly. But at least I manage to fall asleep for a few hours again. I mean, I keep having these weird dreams and then I always wake up afraid that I may find myself in some other place than my quarters with a weapon in my hand and the… some dead man in front of me. And… sometimes I… I get these… well… bouts of panic that… that there's still something inside of me and that it could still happen again, but… but I guess that'll fade after a while." I know who she keeps seeing. And I also know that I should talk about this with Tom, but I promised her I wouldn't.

"Maybe. But I do think it would be better if you talked to someone professional about this." She wants to protest, but this is far too important to play the good old "It's just a scratch."-game. "The whole thing is not to be taken lightly. Look, Maureen, Tom didn't joke when he said it won't be easy for you. He'll not cut you any slack and he'll want extraordinary performance from you. You can't allow yourself to try and ignore something like this. You have to _deal_ with it and refusing to talk about it is _not_ dealing with it." I hope she realizes how important this is for her. To be honest, I was relieved when O'Neill forced Tom to delay the next survival exercise at the Alpha site, because I'm positive that he has something special prepared for her and I don't think she's ready for it yet. She'll probably not be ready for it until the end of the month at least.

"But… won't the Major… I mean, won't he… lose the little respect for me he's still left?" Ah, so that's what's bugging her. I should have known. Of course she wouldn't lose her fear of not satisfying Tom's expectations, even more so since she still needs to prove she can keep up with us on more than just one mission. I think it's time to out-balance some of the pressure Tom is putting on her.

"Maureen, whatever you think: He won't be disappointed if you let someone professional help you. In fact he'd be relieved he doesn't have to order you to. I know you won't believe me, but… the Tom I know and that no one else gets to see knows how to tell serious issues from simple pretentiousness. And who's very much able to sympathize and empathize." That's probably already too much, but I somehow need to convince her of the fact that Tom is still a _human being_ with a very good _heart_ , no matter how much he tries to pretend he isn't.

She's quiet again, which obviously always happens when she's thinking something through. She really takes her time, and it takes up all my patience not to rush her. I still have to get used to her tendency to sometimes retreat into her shell when she needs to make important decisions. Finally, she takes a deep breath and says: "It won't go away on its own, will it?" I simply shake my head. No. "Do I… do I have to tell the Major I'm seeing a therapist?" Now I'm the one taking a deep breath.

"Yes. Trust me, he won't give you a hard time for that, as much as he likes to grumble about psychiatrists. But if you tell him, he can understand some things better and react differently to them. Tom may be a _sensible_ guy, but he isn't always a _sensitive_ guy. Sometimes you have to hit him over the head with what's bothering you, because otherwise he'd be completely in the dark." In fact, I was forced to recount the then very painful and humiliating way my first boyfriend left me to him before he understood why I didn't find it funny that he was making jokes about me being just too much to handle even for the toughest guy.

She swallows. "Alright. But I'll blame _you_ if it doesn't work out." Ah, the benefits of having another female member on the team. At least _one_ person who isn't a thick-headed SF soldier with a long history of "I just need some aspirin." and "Nothing a can of beer can't cure."

I smile. "Good girl." And there's something else going around in my mind. "Oh, and you aren't honestly _living_ on the base, right?" Now she looks down… and is that a blush in her face?

"Uh, well… you know… living here does have its perks…" I draw up my eyebrow.

"Really? Can't even imagine _one_ of them." She wants to say something, no doubt starting to enumerate some advantages which aren't advantages _at all_ , but since it's futile anyway, I just bulldoze her. "You know, I was about to offer you to move in with me, but since you obviously enjoy living here so much…" Ha! That got her attention, even if she tries to feign total disinterest. "And I mean, I really understand that you don't want to trade those beautiful corridors and the very… erm… functional atmosphere for a room with inconveniently big windows and a totally boring view on the Rockies…" Still trying to hide her interest. "Oh, and of course there's the mess hall. Nothing can compete with _that_ , not even your own kitchen… and three different restaurants around the block." Got her! I _knew_ the mess hall would throw her.

"Look, Laura, that's really nice of you and all… but, you know… the worst part of boot camp was having to share a barrack with that bunch of other girls. I could take the yelling and the mud and the pressure, but I just _hated_ to share a building with a lot of other people." Huh. That really surprises me. But then again… as far as I know she's an only child, and her parents died even before starting boot camp or shortly after that. So I guess she was prone to become a loner.

"Hey, you'll have your own room, I promise. And you'd do me a _big_ favor. My last housemate moved to New York, and the place is growing a little lonely. Plus it's always good when I can share the rent with someone else. You know… we still have lots of time on our hands until tonight… what about at least having a look at the place?" She frowns.

"What… _now_?" I can't resist rolling my eyes.

"No, next week. Of course _now_. It's just half an hour's drive from here, and I need to get there anyway. So? Interested in some change of scenery?" She looks at her texts and around her with a skeptic expression on her face. Then she sighs dramatically.

"Do I have any other chance?" Grinning I shake my head. "Thought so. Should we tell the Major?" Still grinning I shake my head again. Let Tom wrack his brains about where we went. Even he can use a little intellectual exercise now and then. "Well… but I'll always blame _you_ if he gets off on us for that. Anyway… let's go, huh?" Yay, I just got myself a new housemate. She doesn't know it yet, but she'll say yes, I can feel that. I'm just so damn good.

_DeLisle_

Mh. I must be doing something wrong. Either I screwed up my calculations or… "My, my, Sergeant, who would have thought. You of all people disobeying a direct order from your commanding General." Oh. Crap. Trying to hide the embarrassment at getting caught, I purse my lips and turn around to face the Major.

"Technically… I'm not working, sir. I'm just… playing around a little." He snorts and then gives me a wary glance.

"Dee… are you hiding something from me?" Uh… no? Because, quite obviously you've already seen what I'm doing here. "Being psychic, maybe? Or… kind of… sharing a mind with Lieutenant Reece? Because that's basically the excuse _she_ tried to give me when I found her in her office." He found her working? I honestly hope not, because from what I could see shine through, she should be doing anything but.

"Maybe she was just… uh…"

"Nuh-uh, no trying to distract me. We're talking about _you_ here. Why do I have to find my not fully fit for duty Sergeant sitting in his lab fiddling around with potentially dangerous stuff?" Hey, I was _not_ fiddling around with any actual chemicals.

"With all due respect, sir… I'm only running simulations here. On a laptop. No real explosives involved in any case. And… you do remember that it was part of our deal that I'd get some work done if you bail me out of the infirmary, right?" That's a little bold, I know, but even though he's trying to give me the stern CO routine, he's in very high spirits – though I have no idea, why that could be – and when he's in that kind of mood, he doesn't really mind.

"Ah, but that was _before_ O'Neill grounded us all." Which, by the way, means you can't order any of us around. "No, I don't want to hear it, Sergeant. I know very well myself that my power to order you around in your spare time is rather limited… but do yourself a favor and stop working."

He sits down beside me, and luckily for him, there isn't anything hazardous lying around this time. I just _bet_ he would have been much more in the danger of getting it in his face than I. "I… appreciate your concern, but I'm fine with what I'm doing. I _like_ this kind of stuff, sir." And you really should know that by now.

He rubs a hand over his eyes, and I can now see that the last mission has gotten him more than just a fading black eye. Usually, he can cope pretty well with what the missions throw at us, but once in a while something extraordinary happens and the people who really know him well get to see a glimpse of what years of service in Black Ops units most have already cost him. This mission is surely one of these. "Hey… I know. I just don't want O'Neill to get off on you. Or on me, for that matter. So… do me a favor and do things that normal people do in their spare time?"

I sigh. Normal people, huh? "Any suggestions, sir?"

"I said _normal_ people." Oh, and if _you_ don't consider yourself normal, how should _I_ – your subordinate – know what normal people do, huh? "Oh, wait, maybe I have something. You have anything planned tonight?" You mean apart from secretly checking my calculations in my quarters and rerun a few simulations? Nope. "Ah, never mind, here's the plan: Since we're _all_ bored, we could as well use the time to do some little off-duty teambuilding. My place, some DVD, some beer, just passing some time together. The girls already agreed. What do you say?"

Wait, let me think… Laura, no possibility to get away the whole evening – driving myself is sadly out of question with that bullet wound – and alcohol. Yeah, really sounds like something I should be taking part in… nope, maybe not. I can hold my liquor, and nothing short of Chinese water torture can drive me to reveal a secret… but I'm not so sure about Laura. I still don't know how exactly she thinks about me and quite frankly: I'm not really keen on learning it in the presence of the Major.

But then again… if I say _no_ , he'll want to know why. And there's always the danger that he'll get the idea that I might hole myself up in my quarters for a reason. Seems like I don't have any other option left. "With pleasure, sir. I feel very honored by your invitation." And I do. Honestly. In all the time I served with the Major, we have always been keeping a professional distance from each other. But if I'm honest: That's all mostly my doing. I probably just never gave him a chance to offer me an opportunity to get beyond a purely professional relationship. Come to think of it: I don't give that chance to that many people. Or rather… to anyone at all.

"You don't have to. That was really overdue. Well… better now…" Suddenly there's the sound of an F-22 Raptor engine sounding through the room, and the Major pulls out his cell. Geez. Fighter pilots. Frowning he reads his display and a second or two after finishing, he suddenly gets a shade paler. "Oh God. I'm so _screwed_."

Care to enlighten me? "Sir?"

"I should have known she was up to something." Mh. Not really enlightening.

"Uh… _who_ , sir?" He holds up the cell. Sir, I'm not known under the name "Sergeant Eagle Eye" on this base.

"Laura. Just told me she left the base to head into town and that I shouldn't go looking for Reece, either." Yeah… so? "And yesterday, she let slip something about needing a new housemate and finding it a pity that the Kid is living on the base and… dammit. They'll be _insufferable_ in a few weeks. I just _bet_ she'll wrap her around her finger in the space of a few minutes and the Kid will move in with her. I'm… _we_ are screwed, Sergeant."

Huh? _Why_? "But… I don't see any problem with the Lieutenant moving in with Captain Greenspan. They are both adults, they get along…"

"Well, that's the problem! They already get along with each other. I honestly don't want to know all the things Laura has probably already told her. Sergeant, trust me: we can already say good-bye to that good little Lieutenant. If there's one thing Laura is really good at, it's boosting other people's self-confidence. And I just have this feeling that the Kid can be a handful if she's given a little encouragement." Yeah… well… so what? _I_ am just the guy you all have the right to order around. I really don't have to worry about a Lieutenant walking all over me me, because, you know, walking all over me is her _right_.

Alright. No. Wait. That's a big problem. If she ever realizes that there's nothing hindering her from grilling me about Laura – and the probability that she _does_ realize it increases with the time she passes with Laura – she _will_ do it. Oh crap. "I… think I get what you're trying to say. What do we do about it?"

His face lights up and there's a little evil glint in his eyes. "No idea yet, but we still have a lot of time on our hands to come up with a good plan." Yes, we do. And suddenly my simulations are really not that interesting anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

_Reece_

Why ever did I let Laura convince me to move in with her? That can only end in mayhem. Honestly, getting along well with others in the same living quarters for a prolonged amount of time is certainly _not_ what I'd list under my "greatest strengths". "Hey, Laura, you know…" She slams down on the brakes at the last possible moment before jumping the lights. Couldn't have someone warned me _not_ to get into a car Laura is driving?

"Having second thoughts, Lieutenant?" Yes, yes, yes. _Massive_ second thoughts.

"No. I was just… never mind." She grins and the tires actually screech as the lights go to green again. Good _God_. She's just a _flight doctor_ , not a fucking _pilot_!

"Yes, you have. Don't worry, I'm not as bad as a housemate as I'm at driving." I certainly hope so. Because that would really drive me mad. I mean, I'm not the world's most fanatical housekeeper, but… I do like a little order in my things.

"I wasn't doubting your qualities as a housemate, honestly." I was doubting _mine_ , but there's no need telling you that again. "It's just… do you really think that's such a good idea? Working _and_ living together?"

"Okay, granted, it does hold some risks, but think like that: At least we don't have to lie to each other about what we're actually doing. You wouldn't think how often I had to find really weird excuses for the injuries I brought home. I mean, I couldn't possibly tell my creative director housemate who wouldn't have gotten the security clearance to get closer to the Mountain than in a mile in a hundred years that I broke my arm during stealing an artifact from right under the noses of Baal's Jaffa or something. When you have to do that on an almost daily basis, you have to be _really_ creative." She's happily cutting in front of people, taking their right of way… and generally ignoring every traffic rule ever known to man. Or at least it seems like that. Don't think about it, Maureen, simply don't think about it. Concentrate on your conversation, not on the road.

"Honestly, I do see your point. But… I can be a real pain in the neck to live with." She shrugs.

"So can I. Come on, give it a try. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I promise, as soon as one of us gets the feeling that she really can't live in the same place with the other one, we'll find another solution. Just… at least have a look at the place." And with that we _finally_ park in front of a four-story brownstone, actually not much different from the one my parents and I used to live in at home.

"Okay. But if the view isn't as great as you promised…"

"Oh, it is." I follow her into the house to the fourth floor. From the outside, the house doesn't look like much, so I don't really have any expectations to her place. Which is why I start falling in love with it right after she closes the door behind me. There's a small hall leading up to a living room with an open kitchen and two doors to either side that presumably lead to the two rooms. The living room looks tidy, but with enough personal touches – pictures on the wall and in frames on the fireplace's mantelpiece, postcards, lots of books, some candles – to make it look inviting. There are a few empty shelves and some empty spaces on the wall where pictures used to be, but otherwise it looks really nice. Like… home. "Well?"

I give her a tentative smile. "It's… nice. Certainly nicer than any of the SGC's common rooms. Does the fireplace work?"

She nods with a grin brightening up her face. "Yep, it does. The empty shelves were Joana's, so if you really want to move in, they're all yours. Want to see your new room?" Shrugging I agree. She leads me back to the hall, opens one of the doors… and it just somehow blows me away. Directly opposite the door are two really huge windows and the afternoon sun is pouring into the empty room. It looks fairly big, with real wood parquet-flooring and built-in shelves. Taking a few tentative steps into the room, I come to stand in front of one of the windows. The whole house is situated on a hill, and so I can overlook a part of the city and nothing obstructs the Rockies in their raw beauty. Slowly taking a look around I can already see ideas on where to place the furniture forming in my head. She's totally got me with this.

"Okay… where do I have to sign?" Now Laura has this kind of totally satisfied look on her face that reminds me of the cat that got the canary.

"Knew you'd love it. You already got furniture?" Oh. Uh… nope. When my parents died, I sold all of it, just kept the books and personal effects and some of my dad's beloved records and my mom's favorite paintings and stored them away. Which reminds me… I have to find a way to get all of this to Colorado Springs… ah, that can wait. More important now is finding a bed. Sleeping on the ground on a mission is inconvenient, but tolerable, but sleeping on the ground in the room you are about to call your own? Nope.

"No. But we've got a whole weekend before us, haven't we?" And with that, it's settled. We still need the formalities to get done, but overall, I just got myself a place outside the SGC. I… arrived in Colorado Springs. So now it's official: I finally found a place to belong to and to stay with. Not what I thought I would find when I started boot camp, but the best that could have happened to me.

"Well, after we survive the night at Tom's, that is." Laura grimaces and that does worry me a little. She's probably seen it, since she gives me an encouraging look and says, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you. Now… you hungry? I really could use a second breakfast now." Mh… I think I could, too.

_Greenspan_

Poor Maureen. She's turned pretty pale again. Someone really should have told her what to expect when getting into a car I drive. They really didn't call me "Laura Lead Foot" for nothing in high school.

"Uh… Laura? Can I ask you something?" Hopefully not if I could please slow down, because I… uh… can't.

"Sure." Oops, jumped a light. But hey, that was just very, very dark yellow, no red.

"Well… it's… something a little personal, you know." Hey, you idiot, that's _my_ lane! Get out of my way, you son of a… personal? What, personal?

"As long as you don't want to know the story of the tattoo I have on the sole of my right foot… I don't mind personal." Because _that_ is one embarrassing story. And at least they only got the foot… okay, better not think about it. Ever again, preferably.

"You have a tattoo…" I throw her a really mean look and slam on the brakes in the exact same moments. There. That should keep her from asking about that for forever. "Okay, never mind. Uh… where was I? Oh right… it's just… is there something… going between Dee and you?" Aw, _fuck_. That question caught me so off-guard that I nearly snatch the wheel and ram us into the guard rail full force. Let's just hope she didn't notice that.

Okay, judging from the fact that now practically all color drained from her face, she _has_ noticed that. Dammit. But I can still try to pretend there's nothing wrong here. "Whatever makes you think that?" Probably the fact that I still smile way too much at Dee or that I can't always keep from looking at him when he doesn't notice it or that I tend to avoid the gym when I know he's in it or that I always let other people patch him up in the infirmary…

"Nothing, I just… well, it's not important anyway. Forget that I asked you." I should, yes. But the thing is: You're far too good an observer, little one. I shouldn't have underestimated you. Because you saw it even though I can push it back into a very far corner of my mind most of the time. In fact, I could only do my job back in the NID complex, because I'm still able to blank out certain things – for example the shock of bullets missing a certain NCO's aorta only by inches – when I have to.

I take a deep breath. "Maureen… there isn't anything going on between the two of us. There never has and there never will be, regardless of what either of us might feel at some point."

She swallows, and probably not because I just almost missed our exit. "Look, I'm sorry I asked. I honestly wasn't doubting both your sense of duty and…"

"I know you weren't. You were just asking a friend because some unsettling thoughts were occupying your mind." Now… should I be honest or shouldn't I? Ah hell, I'm gonna live together with that girl for an unspecified amount of time. Might as well trust her. "And just for the record: You weren't all wrong with your assumptions. It's just… please keep it to yourself, will you? I don't want any trouble for either Dee or me. Or Tom, for that matter." She nods, because she knows very well that Tom would be as much in this as Dee and I if something ever happened.

"Of course. And Laura?" We just arrived at Tom's house, but for some reason I don't get out immediately, but simply look at her with raised eyebrows. "If you do want to talk about it… us linguists are pretty good with listening, too, you know."

She blushes a little, probably because she just realized she _really_ opened up to me. I smile, even touched a little by her offer. "Thanks. And now… let's face the enemy." She eyes me a little confusedly. "They'll certainly try and talk you out of moving in with me. And therefore, they are the enemy. Come on, best defense…"

"Is an offence, yeah. Just lead the way then, oh Captain, my Captain." That's my girl. Just you wait, Thomas Moore. We'll make an officer out of her yet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

_Moore_

"Ah, Captain Greenspan. Fashionably late, as always." Laura looks at me with her typical "Why do I even bother with you?" face.

"Yeah, and a good evening to you, too." Still miffed because I spoiled your little evening out? Just shouldn't have accused me of interrogating you, Captain.

"Whatever. 'Evening, Kid. I see you survived riding with the Queen of the Road." Mh. Was that a "Don't think I didn't miss you calling her by that name again." look from Laura? Sure hope not, because it would mean that I'll have to face an interrogation by _her_ sooner or later. Let's hope it was more of a "If you _ever_ call me that again, I will give you the most embarrassing physical any doctor ever gave a soldier." look.

"Evening, sir. Thank you for your concern, but I've seen worse drivers." She's really uncomfortable, I can see _that_. But I want her to see that I'm not all evil and scary. She'll get to see enough of this side of me in the next few months, and she'll probably hate me for it, and for some reason I feel like showing her my off-duty side might make her remember through all of this that I don't torture her because I _like_ doing that but because I think she's worth the effort. Or, long story short: I want her to see me as a human being.

The girls are done taking off their coats and so I follow them into the living room. Laura doesn't hesitate, because she's been here often enough that she knows probably every nook and cranny of this house, but Reece needs a few seconds to bring herself to follow Laura. Good to know that she doesn't follow where Laura leads yet. Or at least doesn't follow there _immediately_.

As I follow them into the living room, I can see something resembling relief flitting over Dee's face just for a moment and I wonder what in the world could be so bad about having to spend some time with me. I mean, _Reece_ has probably reason to be relieved to get here – even I have difficulties staying calm when Laura's at the wheel – but Dee?

Granted, there hasn't been much private discourse between us all through the years we've been serving together, mostly because I just had this feeling that if I'd ask, my Sergeant would politely decline anyway. Anyway… I turn to Laura again.

"Well, what do you have?" The grin she displays… does not bode well.

"Let's see… These three… have a look at them yourself." She gives me the DVDs and… aw, no way. That's surely a joke.

"Uh… you're kidding, right?" Still grinning, she shakes her head. "Come on, don't tell me that these are the only ones you got." Now she nods. She's enjoying this _extremely_. I throw a look to Dee and Reece, who's sat down on the couch beside him. Both look a lot like "Don't drag _us_ into this." but I just _bet_ that Reece _knows_ what's behind this. A little unnerved I turn back to Laura. "Captain Greenspan, just to make this clear: _Sleepless in Seattle_ , _Pretty Woman_ and _Sabrina_ were the only available DVDs for tonight?"

"Yep. Oh, and note that it's the original _Sabrina_ , with Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn. It's a real classic." Hey, I don't _care_ if it's a classic. I mean, if it _had_ to be Bogart, I wouldn't have minded _African Queen_ or _The Caine Mutiny_ … and _maybe_ I wouldn't have minded _Casablanca_ either. But… _that_? And she _knows_ it. The way she's still grinning at me, I know that _she_ knows that _I_ know… she did this on purpose. Time to unravel the whole extent of this conspiracy.

"Kid… which one of these did _you_ choose?" Let's see where her loyalties lie tonight.

She's blushing again. "Well… uh…" Yeah, come on, tell me which kind of chick flick girl you are. The sappy romance full of fluff? The romantic comedy with social critic undertones? The classic piece? "Actually… I suggested _You've got Mail_ , but Laura thought that one Meg Ryan movie was really enough." That little… Taking a deep steadying breath, I turn back to Laura.

"Alright, you had your little revenge. I get it. Any suggestion what to do _now_?" She grins.

"Well, either we watch _We were Soldiers_ or any of the other stuff _you_ 've got here yet _again_ or we actually _talk_ to each other." Aw, that's not fair. I _know_ that should I choose option number one, Laura at least wouldn't let me enjoy it anything _at all_ and would comment on just about _everything_ happening on the screen. So there's really only one option left.

"Alright, fine. Since you'd talk through the whole movie anyway, there's no use choosing one. We wouldn't get to enjoy it anyway." There. You happy now? And anyway… I still have to prevent Reece from moving in with you.

"Okay… now that that's settled… who does a woman have to sleep with to get a beer here?" Huh. Is there any reason why Dee just choked on his own beer? Okay… maybe he just isn't used to this side of Laura. He might have seen a bit of her rather… brash sort of humor, but not the really dirty side of her.

"Today? With no one. Today's "do the dishes if you want a beer" day."

Before Laura can answer, I can suddenly hear a half-loud "Okay, I'll stick to water for tonight." from Reece, which is followed by a suppressed snort from Dee. I'm about to make a comment about lazy Marine officers when I realize that this is a perfect opening for me.

"You know, Kid, if doing the dishes isn't really your thing… you should reconsider moving in with Laura." Laura, who just went to the kitchen to circumvent the doing-the-dishes-thing by getting herself something to drink, is obviously not amused about this.

"I heard that, Tom. And whoever said something about moving in with me?" She's back and plops herself in one of the armchairs after nonchalantly handing Reece a beer. Mh… the Lieutenant and alcohol… it's sure going to be an interesting evening.

 

* * *

_DeLisle_

Interesting to see what alcohol does to Maureen Reece. I don't think I've ever seen her so relaxed before. She's still a bit quiet, more listening than talking, but I just have this feeling that she's doing it for rather strategic reasons than out of shyness. I already noticed she can be a good observer and just have this feeling that she's trying to determine team dynamics and structures by sitting back and watching and listening. Actually… she's not that different from me in that regard.

Another interesting thing is the Major and Laura. It's _always_ interesting to watch those two, but tonight… I think the Major's and Laura's friendship is the only male/female friendship I ever saw that actually works. I've had my share of things that started out as friendship and ended up as something messed up and complicated and were better left alone, so I know what I'm talking about. It's kind of… refreshing to see them so at ease with each other – most of all for someone who also knows how these two look when being at odds with each other – and yeah, once in a while I secretly enjoy the little stabs Laura likes to take at the Major's dignity and authority. Tonight, she could get away with murder, and she knows it. If I hadn't forbidden myself any thoughts in that direction I'd say she looks drop dead gorgeous.

There's also no way anyone of us could ever convince her to drop the offer to Reece to let her move in, and quite frankly I don't think Reece would let herself be convinced to refuse the offer, either. As different from each other as they are, they already formed a connection and the Major is right to fear this. For as long as this team has existed, Laura always was the only female. I don't think she ever had difficulties with that, but now that forces are equal…

"Kid… can I ask you something?" Seems like the Major has noticed that Reece was a little quiet.

She shrugs. "Sure, go ahead, sir." I'm not quite sure if that was a good idea.

"How the hell did you _ever_ make it through boot camp?" Yeah, that was one of the questions I had in mind. And might I say that it's really _not_ nice to ask that? Although, yeah… I wondered about it as well.

She bites her lip and smiles a little half-smile. "Honestly?"

He rolls his eyes. "Of course."

Instead of answering right away, she takes a sip from her bottle. Stalling for the dramatic effect, Lieutenant? Then, "Mainly with a good deal of "Fuck you." attitude. I'm not what you'd call a model athlete… but when I really want to, I'm pretty good at the art of not giving a damn."

Stunned silence. O…kay. Not exactly what I expected. After another moment of silence, Laura is the first one unable to contain her reaction – a little snort that's not really ladylike – and it provokes a chuckle from Reece. Before we know it, the girls are giggling and there's even a high-five. No, there's no chance these two will let us get between them. The Major looks a little disgruntled and to save him from the embarrassment of having to ask again, I say, "Why do I have the feeling you're being a tease, ma'am?"

Poor Major. One startling revelation after another for him. Someone really should take care of his fragile nerves. "No, it's true. I just did what they told me and kept the rest to myself. Got me further than at least half of my class." She considers her answer and then adds, grinning a little smugly, "Actually… it got me light years ahead of _everyone_ in my class."

Laura grins and they touch bottles. Is that a terrified look I just saw crossing the Major's face? "Well then, let's hope it'll keep helping you. I mean, after everything that happened on that last mission… Oh, by the way, there's something in your mission report…"

The Major is stopped by Laura giving him a not so gentle nudge with her foot. "Remember, we didn't want to talk work today." There's something… strange in the short exchange following that. What the hell is this about? I throw a look at Reece and she gives me a very slight clueless shrug. So she saw it as well.

And obviously decided that she doesn't want to let it go by just like that. "Nah, Laura, it's okay. What's with the mission report, sir?"

The Major doesn't answer right away and just by chance I see that Laura has planted her bare foot very firmly against his thigh. Don't tell me they are holding out with something on us… on _Reece_. "Nothing. There's… nothing. You should just work on your style. Less wordy, more military." Uh-huh. Yeah, sure. Reece doesn't buy it anymore than I do.

"My… style?" Laura nods.

"Yep. I really like your way with words, but the Major here is more a friend of… simple syntaxes and small words." This and the Major's indignant look are followed by the rich laughter I keep wishing to hear more of and feeling guilty for it. It's genuine and it seems to stop the strange change of atmosphere that had just set in. Reece seems to have sensed it as well.

"Right. So… any advice on how to "improve my style"?" And yeah, we're back to the bantering. Thank God. Although… I hope to get a quiet moment with the Major – I certainly don't want any quiet moments with _Laura_ – and ask him what the hell that was all about.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

_Greenspan_

"Laura? What are you doing down here?" he whispers and nearly scares me to death. I just catch myself before I let out a shriek of surprise.

Instead I murmur back a little annoyed, "I could ask you the same thing." Really, sneaking up on me from behind the counter of his kitchen like that… He just shrugs. The nerve the man's got.

"Couldn't sleep, fixed myself a beer. Now, what about you?" Couldn't sleep my ass. Something kept him up and it was clearly neither insomnia nor thirst.

"The same. I'll stick to water, though." He shrugs again, obviously determined not to let the little jab get at him too much. The next few minutes pass in silence with him leaning on the counter, facing his living room and me pouring myself a glass of water. Then I turn back and see his gaze fixed on his couch. Where Reece just turned around with a little sigh. I have _no_ idea what possesses me, but as I step beside him I just _have_ to ask him, "So… you still think she doesn't belong to us?"

He jumps a little, and that makes me curious. It's not like him to get distracted this easily, even if it's some pretty girl he's looking at. He takes a swig from his beer, but I'm fairly certain he's only doing this to stall a little. Then, finally, he says, "No. It's just that… I'm not quite sure if _we_ belong to _her_."

For a while it's quiet because I do need a few moments to process what I've just heard. When I want to say something, Reece stirs again, pushing off half her blanket and revealing a little skin on her back. I throw another look at Tom and he seems to be actually transfixed on her sleeping form. Uh-oh. Before I know it, the question "You like her, don't you?" is out of my mouth.

I'm waiting for the annoyed denial but it just never comes. Instead he manages to pry his eyes away from him and answer me, "I do. I mean… not like _that_. Just as a friend." Sure. If I'd gotten a nickel for every time I heard _that_ …

"Of course." I can just barely hold back the snort. Tom has never been one to overlook a girl's attention for himself, but he was always pretty oblivious to his _own_ intentions, usually until it was too late. And usually I had to knock him over the head to see it. But I sure as hell won't knock him over the head with _this_ one, if it's ever going to be in another direction than friendship.

"Honestly, Laura. I know what you're thinking, but it's not like that. Just as a friend, not more. I know those rules as well as you do, Captain. You _do_ know the rules, right?" What the…? He didn't just allude to me and Dee, right? No way he could have noticed that. Just no fucking way.

"Yes, sir. By heart. So now that we've assured each other that we both know the rules applying to fraternization… what're we gonna do with that?" Ha. Gotcha. You didn't count on that reaction, did you?

"Such stupid questions coming from such a smart woman. You disappoint me, Laura." He smirks at me over his beer bottle. I give him a slight shove, which only makes him chuckle a little. "Honestly, this is not your usual performance, Captain." Another shove, a little more violent than the last one. "Alright, alright. We'll behave by the rules, of course. What else should there be to do?" I only nod. Yes, exactly. And that's why I seriously need to stop flirting with Dee. Good thing Tom has more than one spare room. I really don't want to think about what would have happened if we'd been forced to share a room after the rather boisterous evening we've had.

"Absolutely. Say, Tom… when did you plan on telling Maureen you consider her a friend? Or that you might consider her one in the near future, that is." Ha. Caught him off-guard.

"You sure you aren't drunk, Laura? Or maybe possessed by some alien entity? Accidentally became a Goa'uld host? Because you sure are asking a _lot_ of stupid question." Geez. He didn't think I'd let the opportunity to find him relatively unguarded just slip away, right?

"Actually I think it was a pretty good question. Because knowing you I just bet you'd rather scare her away than make her see a friend in you." He's looking at me with some genuine indignation on his face now. What? You're pretty hard to crack, Major. Usually people would rather give up than die trying to get to know you better. There just _has_ to be a reason for that.

"She'll notice on her own. I do think it would be an insult to her potential if I'd just go and bluntly tell her. Maybe she's not the best shooter, but she's not stupid. She'll figure it out on her own." Bullshit. You just don't want any awkward scenes or something. Men.

"Mark my words, Thomas Moore, some day you _will_ have to tell her, because even the best observer will _never_ figure _you_ out. Sometimes even _I_ have trouble doing that." He grins.

_Moore_

"And here I thought you knew _everything_ about me." Honestly, I did. I mean… she's my _doctor_.

"Nah, not everything. But still enough embarrassing bits to fill hundreds of other evenings like this one." Yeah, I was afraid she'd say something like that. And I don't want to think about the stuff she could tell Reece on evenings _without_ us guys. "But coming back to the topic of telling the truth… when are we going to tell Maureen the truth about that last mission?"

Dammit, I wish she wouldn't have brought that up. Wasn't it enough that Dee cornered me and very politely but determinedly asked me if there was something he should keep from telling the Kid? I rub my eyes and my gaze falls on the innocently sleeping Reece again. Right in this moment… it's very hard to imagine someone like her would be able to kill a man face to face. And as far as she is concerned… she didn't, not yet. "Tom, it can't stay like this forever. I already told you, the case of amnesia usually isn't permanent. Sooner or later it _will_ come back to her… and she'll _hate_ us for not telling her."

Of course she will. _I_ would. But she's still so _young_. And seeing her slowly build up confidence and integrate herself in the team and… smile… I don't want to destroy that, at least not yet. God, if I told anyone, they'd think I'm going soft. "I know, Laura. And I agree. Just… give me a little time, alright?"

She takes a deep breath, and I just know she doesn't believe me that I'm set on telling Reece about the whole killing thing. "Look, Tom… if you want me to, I can do it." Read: I know you won't do it in time, so just leave it to me, because I'm much better at stuff like this anyway.

Usually… I agree with her on this and let her have her will, but not this time. "I appreciate that, but this is something _I_ have to do. I won't mess it up. Cross my heart and hope to die." She takes the last swallow out of her glass, obviously needing a little time for her decision. Good thing no one gets to see this, because it wouldn't do my reputation much good if people knew that there are times when the roles of my 2IC and I are reversed.

"Don't wait too long, or it will blow up right into your face. And I will _not_ save your ass then. Because I'll be busy saving my _own_." Yeah, well, we'll see about that when it happens. Which, of course, it won't.

"Fair enough. Now… go to bed, Captain. God knows you need your beauty sleep." She steps on my toes, just hard enough to make me growl in surprise. Sorry, couldn't resist.

"And God knows you should stop hanging around here. 'Night, Tom." An affectionate rub of my arm and a smile and she's gone upstairs to leave me with my bottle of beer… and the sleeping Reece. I bet she has trouble sleeping and I really don't want to add to it. The Kid… is the kind of person who doesn't take being responsible for a man's death lightly, even if it happened under the circumstances of the last mission. I'll have to be so goddamn _careful_ when telling her about it, and careful is just not what I'm good at, at least with people. But hey… I like challenges. And it's gonna be okay. One day… it's gonna be okay.


End file.
